Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-11-04

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procedure. He was easy in his man
ner, well trained in speech, and i'm
pressed the householders of Hcelstrins
rs "a purity sharp feller," notwith
standing that his argument was re
ceived with many negative head-shak
ings.
Now, gentlemen" said he in con
clusion, "thero is certainly legal way
in which to punish man for beating
his wife. A complaint should he filed
in some court of competent jurisdic.
ton, where hc will be given n fair trial
and punished according to law"
| "Accordin' to lawr snceied Bill.
"Law costs somethin' in this country.
There's fees fur the squire, and fees
for the constable, and fees fur witness
cs, and we taxpayers would have to
foot the bills. don want any law in
mine. got into lawsuit once over
twenty bushels of corn, and it cost me
jest twenty dollars to git out Besides,
he's guilty, and every body knows 1t. "
"Fcllcrs, said Josh Meathers. IL Jest
want to git in one word. Exceptin'
Uncle jim, I'm the oldest man on the
ground. Now, propose comprom-
Use between Bill's plan and Mr.. Arch
er's. We needn't be in a hurry about
the thrashin'. Hits some somethin
that'll wait aintin favor o. goin' into
court Jcstce comes too high there
fur us fellcrs to afford it. Les app'int
n committee to 90 and see Jack and
tell i'm this here things got to stop,
or the neighbors will take i'm out and
tan his hide fur i'm. 1tll be givin' i'm
chanct."
There were n number of approving
mods, and Mcathers moved the appoint
mcnt of the committee. Without wait
ing for second, Ganey put the ques-
ton. There were numerous but not
very enthusiastic ayes, and there were
n few subdued noes.
"Thc notions kerricd," said the
chairman. "An' l appint on that COM
mittee Josh Meathers, an Abe Thorn,
an Sam Bowler; an l will act with
'em an''bc churman."
The meeting adjourned and the
crowd slowly dispersed. The commit
tee, however, Jagged behind for con-
sultaton, which was finished with
remark from the overseer.
"I guess, bcin' as l was churman of
the mcetin' and of the committee, /
might as well go and see Hardness my
self. I've got to see i'm to-morror
about not workin' the road, so it'll
come handy to give i'm his orders
about the other matter"
The other members silently acqui-
osced, and each wended his way home
ward.
Some one has said that every COM
munity has its little great man, or in
dividual of small capacity, but great
aspirations, who pushes himself for
ward on every occasion as the leading
citizen of his neighborhood Old Jim
Gancy was SUCH man; and the alacrity
with which he stepped to the front in
all local affairs, from camp-meeting
to bnrn-raising, would have been
amusing, had his character been thor
oughly understood. But then, the
people of Heelstring never troubled
themselves about deep insight into
human nature, or an analysis of char
acters.
When Ganey reached home that
evening, he lost no time in fully ap-
prising his wife of the importance of
the mission before him. That good
soul listened patiently to all the cir
cumstances relating thereto, but when
the story was finished, she shook her
head and remarked with sigh:
"Be keerful, Jcems! Be keerful."
"Be kerfull!" exclaimed the old man
Indignantly. Don't ye reckon know
my own business?" And he relapsed
into grim silence for the remainder of
the evening.
About three miles from Ganey's
home, down on the narrow bottom of
Beaver Creek, stood the log cabin of
Jack Hardness. The premises pre-
sented an appearance that was unin-
viting in the extreme. A few yards
from the cabin was a pole shed, sean
tily covered with straw, which served
the purpose of n stable for Harkness's
only horse. His crib was rail pen.
There were no other outbuildings.
The fifteen acres of bottom MS inclosrd
by rail fence sadly in need of repair.
The only crop in the field, beyond n
few truck patches, was about ten acres
of corn; which, although badly grown
up in weeds, would probably yield half
\ crop. II >, however. was due rather
to the na.ural productiveness of the
soil, than to the industry of the pro-
prictor.
A single glance at tho house would |
have convinced an architect that, what
ever else it might lack the structure |
was certainly well ventilated-too well |
IN fact; for half the panes in the only
window had long since been broken
1ut, and the vacancy was filed with
pillows, that projected half way
through. or with paper pasted over the
iash. The house was sadly in need of
'chinking," that desirable feature
laving been dispensed with when the
'abin was built the previous spring.
The interior was marked by an entire
Ibscnce of unnecessary furniture. A
homemade bedstead, small table,
wo "split-bottom" chairs, a dry-goods
'ox, which served for cupboard, and
few cooking utensils comprised the
lousehold goods,
The day before the woodworking.
ack had spent at the "still-house, n
ew miles down the creek. As the re-
ult of his spree, he was not IN condi-
ion for even such light physical exer-
ion, as was required in working the
oad
When Jim Ganey mounted his horse
hat morning to 90 to Hardness place,
o was fully aware of the reason for
I. Al |